Dispatching board for conduit systems



SSP@ 349 394-3 SMATH 9029,@@3

i DISPATCHING BoARj APQR GONDUIT SYSTEMS Filed; Jun@ 17, 1941 TE Rill INAL lnven'ror: gdneg 5. 5mm/b Patented Sept. 14, 1943 UNITED y STATES PATE DISPAT'CHING BOARD non com) cir sYsT-EMS Sydney S. Smith, Scarsdale,l N. Y., assignor to Shell Development `Company,l San Francisco,

Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application June 17, 1941, Serial No. V398,507

8 Claims.A (Cl. 116-114) with a rather elaborate and complicated bookkeeping vsystem in order that the relative positions of the various products in thepipeline may be determined when desired, this being necessary for divers reasons, as for example, when it is desired to withdraw a quantityvof a given fluid from the line at an intermediate point along the line.

: It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispatching board` whereby the position .of any given portion of fluidk infa conduit system is indicated. Another object is yto .provide means whereby compensating corrections for changes in pressure'and temperature within the conduit system may be easily and raccurately made. ther object is to provide permanent accurate records of the quantities and type of fluids passed into a conduit system, and their ultimate disposi-y tion. Otherobjects together with the numerous advantages to be derived when operating according to thev present invention`,`will appear inthe. following detailed description of the invention.

Broadly, the present invention embodies a Infoving tape which is calibrated in volume units andv is advanced in accordance 'with theinput of fluidy to the conduit system. For purposes of illustrakerosene, special boiling point products, etc., are

transported. i A

.'Inthe accompanying drawing, Figure I is a. simplified plan View 0f a section of .tl'i'edispatch-` ing "board; ligure II is an enlarged plan view of the compensating controls; Figure III is an end viewv of the compensating controls; Figure IV is' an underside view of the'compensating controls.v

Referring to the drawing, near the bottom .of a panel I, a space is provided for the tape 2 which may be advanced across the panel I. yAbovethe tape 2 and disposed parallel thereto is a trough member 3 in which a number of block members 4, 5, 6 and 'I are disposed. Compensatingcontrols 8, 9, and I serve to interconnect adjacent blocks .4 and 5, and `Ii and 6 and] respectively.

A fur- Tndiciaplatesn', I2, la andia are!incurreden;v

blocks 4, 5, 6 and'I respectively,asshown,. these platesy representing intermediate stations along the pipeline. .If desired, a profile map I5 of. the pipeline maybeprovided on the panel I. A` light panel I6, ncludingindicating lights as at Il', may also be provided, these lights being' utilizedtoV in-f dicate when pumpsfare. operating, withdrawals, being made, etc., at the various intermediate sta-.

tions., In Figures and I9 are rigidly attached to `thelunderside of blocks 5 andIi respectively. LScrew member vv20*-l idly mounted infmember 2|, .which is in turn attached by meansofscrew 32 to flange member,22,' upon whichblocks and 6 may slide.. Scale plate. 26 is also rigidly attached to rflange member.`.22

and'is spaced suiciently above .blocks 5 and 6 to, permit theirv sliding. .movement therebeneath. K nurled wheels 2 3 and 24a-re positioned within wheel cages' IBIandj I9. irespectively and ,are

threadedly mounted onscrewjmember 29. -A ten-` sion spring 25 .is.-at.tached to wheel cages-I8 and I9, as shown, andserve's to take up any playin the screw mechanism- Scale platekZIi .is\provide d with a calibrated temperature scale towards one'v end, thereof andja calibrated pressure scale-.to-. wardsy the other. end thereof.A Vernier scale plates. 28 and 2l are mounted on blocks Ii land 5 respectively. and oppositethe temperature andv pressurescales. of scale plate 25, inthe known.

The principle uponwhichlthe-dispatch board'- operates is themovement of tape 2, representing.

the liquid passingthrough the line, across panel I, representing the pipelinatape Z also passing indiciaplates II I2, I3k and I4, representingin-,- termediate stations alongthe pipeline. Tape-Zie.v calibrated across the top atY 2a in units representi. ing volume inputf'to the pipeline and isprovided withcolor bands 2b ,at-the bottom', each color representing a. different product.v Indicia. plates- II, I2, I3 and I4 are spaced apart on a scaleacvcurately corresponding to the spacing of the vario us stations along the pipeline..v

In detail, operation ofthe dispatch'board is as follows: r

Assuming stationBH (indicia.A plate AI I.) .to be.

thebeginning of. the pipeline, then block. 4 0n` which indicia plate I Iv is mounted will be rigidly fixed in trough'3. As pumping operations proceed, tape 2; will be advanced past marker 29, the length oftape. passing corresponding to 'volume n, merid 1v,s`hcvvingfuetai1scf tri?- compensating controls, wheel cage members I8.

. gun. When it is desired to remove a quantity of a given product at an intermediate point along the line, the tape is cut at the indicia plate cor-v`v responding to the actual Withdrawal station and a section of tape of a length representing-'they quantity of product Withdrawn is cut oii. When' pumping past this station is again resumed, the

severed ends of the tape on the panel are joined together and advance of the entire tape recom' menced as outlined above. i

The section of tape removed serves, after being marked with the name of the withdrawal stai tion,as a permanentrecord of quantity andtype. ofproduct withdrawn and placebf Withdra-vvalf.

Advance of the tape l across the panel may either be manual, in Whichcase the tape is inter?` mittently advanced. as periodic telegraphic or teletyped reports are received. from the. pumping station at the beginning o'f' the line, or it may be automatically advanced by a clock-Work or other means which is directly actuated by thepumping units themselves. The manual method, lioi'w'eveii;v has been found eminently satisfactory and; being less expensive .andv complicated,` is preferably used. i Periodic reports are. alsoy received from all' of theintermediate stations along the pipeline as fto the temperature .and pressure conditionsjin thev line at that point. By means of this information, compensations are made on tl 1'edispatching board agfollows: vllissginnn'gthat a temperature rise oc-v curs in:` the pipeline betweeiir stationsiSB and WB,

then the latest reported temperature isset upon" calibrated scales 26 and 2B cfcor1`ii1el1-sating,con-` trols 9 'by means of lmfu'rled Wheelt 24. When this adjustment ismade, block''vfvill `bernoved to-4 Wards block 5 by the screwmechanismshown in Figure IV. vSince block 41s rigidly fixed'in trough 3 and is independently connectedlto block' 5`by' compensating'controls 8 and since, theremainder' oi the blocksjbeyond block `i5 are similarly inde` other two adjacent blocks. Thus, by 'bringing' blocks. 5 and 6 close together, indicia. plates l2 and |3'will be brought closer together, resultingli'n a corrected rea-dingen tape 2 as'to the quantity of product in the pipeline between v'stations SB and" at the operatingvtemperature'. Thus compensatingc'orrections may be madeion vthe dispatch board atthe points corresponding to those in the pipeline where, changes actually Zoccurwithout affecting sections corresponding'to points where operating variables remain constant. Pressure corrections are madeby increasing. the

spacingy between indicia plates as pressure rises: voccur andvice versa.

The paper vtape thus. always' indicates on the dispatch' board kthe exactlocation and quantity` ofthe several products in the` pipeline with's reference to the location of the .variousstations along the pipeline.V In utilizing thedescribed invention it .is always possible to -determineat agl'ance what products. arein the lineby means of, the various colored bands 2a atfthe bottom ofthe.-

tape', Where they are 'inthe pipeline by noting their position with reference to the indicia plates, and the quantity of each product by noting the length of tape of any given color band. Further, since the input pumping rate usually is constant, the time at Which any given product will begin to pass through any given intermediate station may be easily determined.

,Small clips, as at 30, may also be attached to tape 2, these serving to indicate the position of pipe cleaners which are carried along by the stream in the line.

B-y observing their position as they are carried across the dispatching board by the tape, the operators at the various stations along the line may be warned of their approach 'lin order that they may be by-passed to avoid damage to screens, pumping mechanism, etc.

The dispatching board described is intended 'y Yonly as a specic embodiment of the invention, it

being easily adaptable through slight modifications such as recalibrationof the compensating control scales and the traveling tape, spacing of the indicia plates, etc., to other fluid'car'ryingf conduit systems, such as gas lines, irrigation' systems particularly Where various fertilizers and/or other chemicals are addedto thel irrigation Water,piping systems in the various chemical and other manufacturing industries,` etc.`

I claim as my invention: .A

l.` In a dispatching board for conduit systemsv carrying a plurality of separate .bodies of liquid having nonidentit'zalA properties the combinationv comprising atape slidably arranged 'on said board` and calibrated in accordance with and represent#r ing input vof liquid to ya conduit systemand having] distinctive means separately yidentifying each parallel tov said tape, said indiciaelements c'ofrl responding to pointsfalong' saidr conduit s'ysteni.

in scaled relation theretoand' means adapted 'to'.v vary the spaced relationship Aof any two' adiacentl` spaced indicia elements Withoutdisturbingr the..

Y spaced relationship of anyfotherltwoadjacent indicia elements of said spaced indicia elements`.'

2. In a dispatching,board for liqiiid' ,carryin'g'-v conduit systems' the combinationcompri'singfal tape slidably arranged on said board and califf bratei in accordance with andi representing in5- vput of liquid to a conduit systema plurality off,

spaced members disposedon saldboard parallel to said tape, independent means Lconne'c'ting" ad-`V jacent membersof said lspaced members, indicia;Y carried by said spaced members corresponding .i'f scaled relationship to points along sadfcbnduit system, said connecting means being'arrang'ed and adapted to modifythe spaced relationship off. thecorresponding adjacent'spaced members conf nected thereto. j 3. In adispatc'hing boardfor fluid' carrying` conduit systems the combination co my irsinglgal detachable tape slidably arranged on said boardv andv calibrated in quantities ,.representingkiinput; of fluid to a conduit system and spaced'indicia, elements disposed' on said Aboard.,parallel tojsaid tape, said indicia elements l corresponding to intermediatel points throughout I said conduit system in scaled relation thereto.

' 4,. In aA dispatching board"v for uid cari-ying' conduit systems the combinationco'inprising a. tapeslidably arranged on said, board and 'califA brated in accordance with-and representir-igivolume input of iluid to a conduit system, a plu- 7E rality of spaced'members disposed'on saidlboard' parallel' to said tape, independ'entmeans intrconnecting each pair of adjacent members of said spaced members, and indicia in conjunction with said spaced members, said indicia correspending to intermediate kpoints throughout said conduit system in scaled relation thereto, said interconnecting means being arranged and adapted to vary the relative spacing between any pair of adjacent spaced members without disturbing the spaced relationship of any other pair of adjacent spaced members.

5. In a dispatching board for conduit systems carrying a plurality of separate bodies of liquid having non-identical properties,` the combination comprising a detachable tape slidably arrangedon said board calibrated in accordance with and representing input of liquid to a conduit system and having distinctive means separately identifying each length of tape corresponding to the quantity of each liquid introduced to said conduit system, spaced indicia elements disposed on said board parallel to said tape, said indicia elements corresponding inr scaled relationship to intermediate points throughout said conduit system and means adapted to Vary\ the spaced relation-` ship of any two adjacent indicia elements without disturbing the spaced relationship of any other two adjacent indicia elements of said spaced indicia elements.

7. The .dispatching board according to claim 3 including means calibrated in terms of temperature and pressure arranged and adapted to Vary the relative spacing between two adjacent indicia elements in accordance with reported pressure and temperature changes within the conduit system without disturbing the spaced relationship of any other two adjacent indicia elements of said spaced indicia elements.

8. In a dispatching board for uid carrying systems the combination comprising a tape slidably arranged on said board and calibrated in*` accordance with and representing input of fluid to a conduit system, spaced indicia elements disposed on said board parallel to said tape, said indicia elements corresponding in scaled relationship to points along said conduit system and Within the corresponding section of said conduit.

system and without disturbing the spaced rela,- tionship of any other pair of adjacent spaced indicia elements of said spaced indicia elements.

SYDNEY s. SMITH. 

